Book review: Tomáš Dvorský, Čínska mäkká moc a slovenská skúsenosť [Chinese Soft Power and the Slovak Experience]

Abstract

This review examines Tomáš Dvorský's monograph Čínska mäkká moc a slovenská skúsenosť (Chinese Soft Power and the Slovak Experience), published in 2022 by the University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik in Košice. The book offers a three-part analysis moving from the theoretical foundations of soft power, through China's global influence strategies, to a detailed case study of Sino-Slovak relations. Dvorský's central and notably measured finding is that Slovakia does not rank among the priority targets of Chinese interest in the region, a conclusion that distinguishes the work from more alarmist accounts of Chinese influence in Europe. The review highlights the monograph's strengths in source breadth, readability, and conceptual clarity, while noting its largely descriptive treatment of some empirical material and the limitations imposed by its publication only in Slovak. The book is recommended to scholars of international relations, Chinese foreign policy, and Central European politics.